Introduction

More than two months have passed since the WHO formally declared the outbreak of the new coronavirus (SARS-COV-2) a pandemic (1). At the time of writing, more than 4 million people have been infected with the virus globally, and the number of deaths is still on the rise (2). To reduce the spread of COVID-19, many countries have opted to shut down borders and enforce temporary travel bans and/or lockdowns. More than one-third of the world’s population faces some kind of quarantine or lockdown measure, which is proving to be one of the biggest challenges so far, both the enforcement itself, and the implications on society (3).

Information about the pandemic has been widely available and shared on social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. This provides an opportunity for governments, authorities, and healthcare leaders to embrace the advantages that social media provides, not only as a way to better engage with society but to also coordinate interdisciplinary action and international collaboration. On the other hand, with social media serving as an important mediator of information to the people, the spreading of false and misleading information is a very real risk.

As many people are spending more time on social media to get the latest news and information to protect themselves, misinformation and disinformation have had huge impacts on communication and adherence to guidelines. Aside from prevention and case management, the fight against the virus now includes tackling the “Infodemic” - Fake News and Cyber Propaganda”, which can influence people’s behaviour (4) and make them less likely to complywith official recommendations (5). It has been suggested that the consequences of misinformation have led to incidences of alcohol consumption (6), abuse of anti-malariadrugs (7), panic buying (8), and violence against people living with COVID-19 (9).

This article aims to share the importance of innovative communication strategies in the exchange of knowledge across multiple disciplines, the roles of young professionals, and the promotion of international collaboration towards solving the global problems of COVID-19.

Early Days

Despite the advantages offered by the current Information Age, these advantages may be used to facilitate infodemics, stigma, and bias spreading to many countries at an alarming rate (10,11). The lack of good and reliable information can result in people making poor and unhealthy decisions while trying to protect themselves, actually causing harm to themselves and others. For example, people who believe that unproven remedies can help against the disease may also be less likely to follow advice from health officials and at best opt for less effective treatments (12).

Misinformation started spreading already in the early days of the pandemic. Perhaps one of the first cases of misinformation reported was the Chinese Public Security Bureau accusing Dr. Li Wenliang, one of the first who raised the alarm about the seriousness of the situation, of spreading rumours and causing social disorder (13). Even though China would eventually declare the situation a pandemic by January 2020, this delay of response by local authorities hindered early containment strategies and will possibly dissuade doctors from issuing early warnings in future pandemics. This initial downplaying from governments about the seriousness of the disease would, unfortunately, be seen in many other countries as the disease spread, causing unnecessary deaths, morbidity, and oversaturated health-systems that could have been minimized by an early implementation containment strategy.

In February 2020, the WHO warned that the COVID-19 pandemic would be followed by an infodemic, characterized by an overflow of both accurate and inaccurate information that would make it difficult for people to find reliable information that they can base well-informed
decisions regarding their health on (14). The spread of both accurate and inaccurate information is exacerbated by social media, as it provides direct access to a massive amount of content from both reliable and unreliable sources. This has contributed to an array of responses, from general denial or not taking the situation seriously, to mass hysteria, panic buying in stores, and stockpiling of drugs. Apart from the spreading of false and misleading information in social media, incorrect information can also come from traditional mass media.

Down the Road

Various strategies have been implemented around the globe to combat misinformation and fake news. The WHO has constantly communicated up-to-date information concerning COVID-19 through their website and social media channels. In addition, they have provided training through Massive Open Online Courses for health professionals, decision-makers and the public that are available in different languages (20). Efforts have also been made by social media companies to censor or remove accounts that spread false information from their services (21). For example, Twitter has started labeling warnings on tweets that contain misleading or false information (22). Through partnerships between leading social media channels and public health organisations, reliable information is made available to internet users via pop-ups, news updates and optimised search results.

Countries around the world have used similar strategies to the WHO, tailored to their context and needs. Mexico, like the US, holds daily press briefings on COVID-19, which are broadcasted on live national television as well as social media channels such as YouTube and Facebook (23). These countries have also created a microsite that provides courses, information, and guidelines about COVID-19 for health professionals and the public. Myanmar's democratic leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, opened a Facebook account where she frequently live-broadcasts to help minimize the spread of this virus (24).

Some countries were less prepared when it came to combating misinformation and fake news. Sharing of misinformation fueled the overall mass hysteria and created many conspiracy theories. A widely spread conspiracy theory that originated in social media was that the coronavirus was a biological weapon launched against China (25) and another that it was created by the Chinese to wage war on the US (26).

Public officials tend to be cautious about releasing premature information and consistently phrase statements to ensure accuracy and prevent misinterpretation. Curiously, this has also contributed to creating empty spaces and gaps with information which rumours, conspiracy theories and false statements in social media tend to fill.

Today

The pandemic has forced the entire population to utilize communication strategies and technologies at maximum capacity during this unprecedented crisis. This includes strategies such as contact tracing, patient care through alternate care options and data management.

Social media provides the means for important communication strategies for spreading accurate and life-saving information. As more people need to work remotely, social media and video meeting apps have become vital for maintaining communication and keeping the economy afloat. Connectedness through social media and video calls has therefore been very important both for staying connected with loved ones and for many organisations to be able to keep working.

False and misleading information has affected the decision and efforts of health authorities in every stage of the pandemic. False information is tweeted more often than science-based evidence, although there is an observed reduction in retweets (27). It is clear that our systems are inadequate to fight future infodemics. Aside from following social distancing norms to prevent infection, we as a society must also implement strategies that protect people from misinformation and make it a part of the efforts to combat future pandemics.

Toyyib Abdulkareem

Toyyib is the Coordinator of the Editorial Team, CGHI, and writes on the intersections of sustainable development and young people.

Israel Herrera Ramirez

Editorial officer for CGHI, pharmacist and public health professional. Enjoys working on public health topics through a health systems perspective.

Ei Ei
Aung

Ei Ei is the Quality assurance officer at CGHI and enjoys working on implementation research on health and development issues.